Ground Yourself and Avoid Learned Helplessness

It is in our DNA to desire to have choices. The fundamental aspect of freedom is the ability to choose. World Wars have literally been fought for this right. We can call it different names freedom, democracy, determination, free will but, at the core is the desire to have the right to choose. Where one wants to live, worship, shop, eat, work, the list is endless. We have watch dogs in the form of media and interest groups and they are charged with watching out for anything that might hinder or stop our freedom to choose.

But, what happens when we have the freedom but the internal ability to choose is taken from you? Or for one reason or another, you just lose the will to choose? Then you have effectively lost your freedom and you’re suffering from Learned Helplessness.

In a groundbreaking study a psychologist Martin Seligman conducted experiments at Cornell University that changed the way people look at choice and control. He took 2 dogs (no animals were hurt during his experiments) and put them in their own bin. On the bottom of both bins was a low level electrical grid. On one side of the bin when the dog felt the shock and pushed the side of the wall the electrical shocks stopped. On the other side of the bin no matter what the dog did he was unable to stop the electrical shocks.

Then the same two dogs were put in a different type of circumstance. They were put into different bins that had openings and the dogs could see how to escape the bins. The shocks were administered and the dog that was previously allowed to stop the shocks immediately escaped through the opening. However the dog that was not allowed to stop the shocks just laid there and didn’t attempt to escape.

What Seligman discovered was basically the will to choose was removed from the dog that was not allowed to control his environment. To extrapolate, the dog didn’t feel his actions would amount to anything that was going to change his condition. Does the circumstances faced by the dogs sound scarily familiar?

We all want to have the freedom to choose, but if we feel that our choices are not going to net any results we tend to freeze or stay in place. It’s too much trouble, I don’t like to change, nothing good is going to happen, I tried already no sense in continuing to try, I am unlucky, it will never happen for me, don’t waste your time, more trouble than it’s worth, did I miss any? We have all opportunity and freedom, but most of us will never exert the will to even take advantage of even a small percentage of opportunities available.

As I said this is Learned Helplessness. Learned because it’s against our very nature to not want to exercise free will and choose. However, if someone or something can set you back and you internalize it, you learned that your choices have no consequence, therefore you are essentially Helpless.

Learn to Ground and root yourself from an energy standpoint and it will be difficult for you not to have the ability to determine your own course and be one with the energy around you. Therefore in harmony, stress free and will be able to create the abundance that you deserve.